Combining the Physical and the Spiritual

Statement of Purpose

My purpose in this blog is to keep a journal of the Torah I learn everyday and share it with whoever may be interested in reading or responding. I hope that this will be of interest to many and stimulate discussion.

My first offering is something I learned today on Parshas Emor.

Parshas Emor contains mitzvos about kohanim and the Shalosh Regalim. The mitzvos related to kohanim are understandable since the purpose of Sefer Vayikra is Toras Kohanim, the laws of kohanim, their duties and the sacrifices they offer. But why are the Shalosh Regalim here?

The Ramban notes (Vayikra 23:2) that the switch in Chapter 23 to Shalosh Regalim, the Festivals, changes from addressing Aharon and his sons to addressing the Bnei Yisrael. The Bnei Yisrael are being addressed because the Shalosh Regalim are not limited to kohanim. There is no specific mitzvah here limited or directed to kohanim as a separate group. They are part of the Bnei Yisrael in this context with nothing specific or different for them.

The question remains:
Why are the Shalosh Regalim in this parsha, or more generally in Sefer Vayikra as a whole, since they apply to all of Bnei Yisrael, not just kohanim?

The Ramban says that the Shalosh Regalim are mentioned as part of Toras Kohanim because these are the times for korbanos which are brought by the kohanim for Bnei Yisrael.

Rav Dovid Cohen offers another explanation:
In this physical world that God created, He combined the physical and the spiritual. For example, Man is created from matter but also has a spirit in the image of God, tzelem elokim. The beracha of asher yotzar concludes with the words, u'mafli' la'asos, i.e. that God acts wondrously, because Man is made of matter and at the same time has a high level of spirituality.

Similarly, the kohanim who are on a higher level of kedusha and spirtuality, bring Man and Bnei Yisrael closer to God through the korbanos and the avodah in the Beis Hamikdash.

Bnei Yisrael are also called kohanim. We are the mamleches kohanim v'goy kadosh, a kingdom of kohanim and a holy nation. We are the 'or la-goyim, the light to the nations. Bnei Yisrael are the conduit of kedusha to raise the level of kedusha, holiness, and spirituality for the nations of the world.

Toras Kohanim, Sefer Vayikra, is about the combination of the physical and the spiritual and raising the level of spirituality. The challenge for Man is to take the combination of the physical and the spiritual and raise up the spiritual aspect to the highest levels. Each one plays his part: The kohanim for Bnei Yisrael and the Bnei Yisrael for the 'umos ha-olam, the nations of the world.